Sitting furniture of the knockdown type



p 953 F. oHLssoN 2,650,657

SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Filed 001:. s, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIE-9 FIE-1M0 Sept. 1, 1953 F. OHLSSON 5 9 SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Filed Dot. 6, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 1, 1953 F. OHLSSON 2,650,657

' SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Filed 001;. 6, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 1, 1953 F. OHLSSON SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Filed 00%. e, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 rww f" an To r- Fine. 0 [fla Sept. 1, 1953 oH sso 2,650,657

SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Filed Oct. 6, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WW/WQT A Patented Sept. 1, 1953 SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Folke Ohlsson, Malmo, Sweden, assignor to Kooks Snickerifabriker Aktiebolag, Malmo, Sweden, a. corporation of Sweden 1 Application October 6, 1949, Serial No. 119,813 In Sweden January 21, 1949 5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement of sitting furniture of the knock-down type, such as easy-chairs and sofas, and a special object of the invention is to provide means enabling the parts of the sitting furniture to be mounted and interlocked in mounted position in a particularly simple way without any tools whatever and using a minimum of furniture fittings.

Another special object of the invention is to provide means for supporting the seat at the rear from the furniture back only and at the front from the supporting furniture frame only, while the parts still are positively interlocked in mounted position with the aid of a small number of simple means, whereby the furniture architect has great freedom in giving the furniture its desired form. In particular it is possible, if desired, to dispense with the border edging of the side frames of the piece of furniture, which extends along the lateral edges of the seat .and which was necessary in the hitherto known constructions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fitting f specific form to co-operate with a headed stud for interlocking two furniture parts in such a way that one furniture part must be displaced along a curved or broken path relative the other furniture part, when it is to be released from the latter.

Still another object of the invention is to provide specific interengaging means for positively interlocking two furniture parts in an extremely simple and reliable way.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of some examples of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a side view of an easy-chair according to the invention.

Fig. 2 shows parts of the inner side of a side frame included in the easy-chair of Fig. 1, and a section through a connection between the back and the seat of the easy-chair.

Fig. 3 shows a section on line III-III on Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a modification of the arrangement according to Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 similar to Fig. 2 shows another embodiment of an easy-chair in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 6 shows a section on line VIVI of Fig. 5.

Figs. 7, 8, and 9, 10, respectively, show fastening means modified with respect to those shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Figs. 11 and 12 show two further embodiments of an easy-chair according to the invention.

.The easy-chair shown in Figs. 1 to 3 comprises two side frames 1, a back 2, a seat 3, and a pad 4 placed thereon. Each side frame I has a front leg la and a back standard lb terminating in a rear leg. Near the upper end of each side frame I is screwed a customary so-called keyhole fitting 5 consisting of a plate with a slot 6 therein extending longitudinally of the standard lb and being of uniform width excepting that its upper end is widened so that the slot resembles a keyhole. Near the upper end of each side edge of the back 2 is screwed a screw 1, the head 8 of which is at some distance from the side edge of the back and may be inserted through the widened end of the slot 6 of the fitting 5, whereafter the back 2 may be hooked onto the standards lb on the side frames through the back being pushed downwards in its longitudinal direction relative the side frames, the screws 7 being moved down to the lower end of the narrow portion of the slots 6 and the screw heads 8 engaging behind the slot edges, whereby the back and the side frames are interlocked and relative movement thereof is prevented in all directions except as far as a displacement of the back upwards in relation to the side frames and a rotation about the screws 1 are concerned.

Near the lower end of each side edge of the back 2 is screwed a further screw 9 with a head It! for engagement with a keyhole fitting ll of specific shape mounted on the adjacent side frame I to completely interlock the back 2 and the side frames l, i. e. prevent rotation of the back about the screws 1 and upward displacement thereof relative the side frames. For this purpose the slot l2 provided in each fitting ll has its longitudinal medial line curved or broken in such a way that its portion of approximately uniform width connected with the widened end for letting through the head It of the screw 8, extends first downwards approximately in parallel with the slot 6 of the fitting 5 and is then defiected almost directly backwards. Thus, when the back is hooked fast between the side frames l, the screws 9 located at the lower end thereof will move, during the downward movement of the screws in the slots 6 of the fitting 5, first downwards in the slots l2 of the fittings li and then backwards to the end of the slots l2 so that they will be situated under the nose l 3 formed by the slots [2. Said nose l3 prevents the back from being displaced upwardly relative the side frames, unless the lower end of the back is pulled forward, before or simultaneously as said displacement is commenced, in a direction diverging from the longitudinal direction of the back to cancel the interlocking engagement of the screws 9 with the noses I3. Thus, if forward movement of the lower end of the back 2 hooked fast between the side frames I is prevented, the back will be safely interlocked with the side frames I.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 3, such a forward movement of the lower end of the back 2 hooked fast between the side frames I is pre vented by means of the seat 3. At its rear edge the seat 3 has a projecting slat I4 which is adapted to engage a groove I5 at the lower end of the back 2 to bear with its approximately horizontal underside against the upwardly facing side wall of the groove for supporting the rear end of the seat from the back only. The front end of the seat is supported by two screws I6 only, each engaging with a fitting ITI mounted on the adjacent side frame I. The fittings I! are of the same construction as the fittings II already described, excepting that the slots I8 for the screws I6 first extend downwards and are then deflected forwards.

Disposed in the groove I5 are one or more resilient means I9 which are diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 2 in the form of a cylindrical helical spring, but which may preferably have the form of one or more leaf springs bent in the form of a bow, Or of one or more rubber pieces. After the back 2 has been hooked fast between the side frames I in the manner already described, the slat I4 of the seat 3 not yet mounted is inserted in the groove I5 and is pushed so far into the groove I5 against the action of the resilient means I9, that the heads 20 of the screws I6 may be introduced through the wide ends of the slots I8 of the fittings I'I, whereafter the front end of the seat is pressed downwards, the resilient means I9 pushing the screws I6, at the end of the downward movement of the seat, below the nose 2I of the fittings I], which corresponds to the nose I3 of the fittings II. After that the seat 3 is locked and cannot be released I again by mere tilting of the front end of the seat upwards. In this mounted position the seat has the end surface I la of the slat I4 which is disposed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the seat, indirectly applied, i. e. via the resilient members I9, against the bottom surface I5a of the groove I5 in the back, which surface is transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the seat. To remove the seat it is necessary first to push the seats backwards against the action of the resilient means I9, which preferably exert a relatively great spring force, to release the screws I6 from the noses 2I before the seat can be tilted upwards to released position. Simultaneously as the resilient means I9 hold the seat 3 in its forward locked position they hold of course the back 2 too, in its rearward locked position, and the spring force exerted by the resilient means I9 should preferably be relatively great so that there is no risk that the seat and the back will be released inadvertently, e. g. when the chair is lifted.

Since, like in the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 3, the lower end portion of the back 2 must be displaced during the first part of the releasing movement of the back in a direction diverging forwardly from the longitudinal direction of the back, it is required, in order that the locking of the back in mounted position may be 4 performed by means of the seat, that the fastening members I6, I! of the seat 3 prevent the seat from being moved forwardly from the back 2 and that at least the first part of the releasing movement of at least the lower end portion of the back is performed in a direction which, when drawn in a side elevation of the furniture starting from the directly or indirectly'abutting surfaces on the seat and on the back, disposed transversely to the longitudinal direction of the seat, extends as a chord into a circle which passes through said transverse surfaces and the centre of which is situated on a line transverse to the sitting furniture and extending through the fastening members mounted at the front of the This geometric construction is indicated an example in Fig. l where the circle having -the stud I6 as its centre and passing through the surface I la. of the slat I4, which is transversely disposed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the seat, is designated A, whereas the direction of motion starting from the surface I la, for the lower end of the back is designated B. The line of direction B shall thus form a chord to the circle A in order that a locking may be obtained.

Fig. 4 shows how a wedge 24 may be substituted for the resilient means I9 of Fig. 2, said wedge being attached to a leaf spring 25 below the seat '3 and adapted to be inserted between the rearwardly facing surfaces of the seat .and the forwardly facing surfaces of the back 2 to prevent the lower end portion of the back to be displaced forwardly from mounted position. and the seat from being displaced backwards from its mounted position.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 5, the back 2 is hooked onto the back standards In of the side frames I by means of headed screws 1 and 9 mounted on the back, and by means of fittings 5, II on the back standards, like in the embodiment already described. The seat 3 as before has screws 2'! near the front end of the seat sides for engagement with keyhole fittings 22 which will be described in the following and which enable the front end of the seat to be locked in mounted position. At the rear edge the seat 3 has a projecting slat I4 which penetrates into a groove 23 at the lower end of the back 2. This groove 23 has however no resilient means and is not too deep so that the slat l4 reaches the bottom of the groove, when the screws I6 engage with the keyhole fittings 22, whereby the lower end of the back 2 is prevented from forward movement from its locked rear position by the mounted seat 3, since the surfaces I40. and 23a of the slat I4 and the groove 23 in the back, which surfaces are transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the seat, are then pressed into direct engagement with each other, the fastening members I6, 22 of the seat preventing the slat surface Ma from giving way to the back.

The fitting plate 22 has between two holes for the fastening screws 21, a big hole 28 with which is connected a slot 29 of considerably smaller width than the diameter of the hole 28. Said slot 29 has its end remote from the hole 28 widened to a hole 30 having a diameter greater than the width of the slot 29, but considerably smaller than the diameter of the hole 28.

The stud 26 is preferably purely cylindrical and is displaceable in a hole in a plate 3I (Fig. 6) which is fixed to the side of the seat 3, facing the front leg Ia of the side frame. The end of the stud 216, projecting from the plate 31 .has a relatively large head ,32 which has a small conical projection 33 on its side facing the stud 2.6.. By this projection the head 32 is connected to the stud. The head .32 is of such a diameter that it may be inserted through the hole 218 of the plate 22 into a recess 3t provided in the front leg in behind the plate, whereupon the stud 2.6 may be moved through the slot '29 into the widened portion 31] thereof. On the end remote from the head the stud .26 is provided with a screw thread for engagement with a nut v315, by means of which the head 32 may be pressed against the plate .22 when the stud is located in the widened portion 30, the conical projection 33 at the junction of the stud 26 proper and the head 32 penetrating into the widened portion 39 and preventing relative displacement of the fur niture parts la and 3 longitudinally of the slot 29, as long as the .nut holds the conical projection 33 of the .head 32 in engagement with the widened portion 30 of the slot 29.

It is possible to interlock the plate 22 and the stud 26 in many other ways than by means of a conical projection 33. Thus, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the head 32 may be provided with a projection 33' of square-shaped cross section located on the side facing the stud 26 prop-er, while the slot 29 in the plate 22 is provided with a widened portion 30' of corresponding shape. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10 the projection of the head 32" may also be formed for instance as one or more radially extending ridges 3'! on theside facing the tenon 26, while the plate 22 is provided with corresponding recesses 38 connected with the slot 29.

The widened locking portion of the slot 29 does not need to extend through the plate 22 but it is sufficient in certain cases when the slot 29 has a widened portion on the back of the plate, i. e. on the side of the plate remote from the furniture part receiving the stud. Thus the widened portion 33 in Figs. 5 and 6 may be replaced by a conical countersunk portion on the left side of the plate 22 as seen in Fig. 6. The embodiment according to Figs. 9 and '10 gives an example of widened portions of the slot 29 adjacent the back of the plate only.

In the embodiments according to Figs. 8 to 10 the locking engagement of the stud 26 and the plate 22 is such that the stud is prevented from turning, when the nut 35 or 36 is tightened.

The axial displacement of the stud 26 necessary for attaining locking engagement between the stud and the plate 22 to prevent displacement of the stud longitudinally of the slot 29, may be realized in any way other than by means of screw threads on the stud and a nut 35 (Fig. 6) or a wing nut 36 (Fig. 8) threaded thereon. In certain cases, the stud 26 may for instance be springactuated or movable by means of a lever mechanism passing a dead point during the movement of the stud. The stud 26 may also be formed as a sliding bolt having a laterally projecting arm which by rotation of the stud, after the same has been moved into locking engagement with the widened portion of the s1ot'29 in the plate 22, may be swung into locking engagement with a recess provided in a fitting carrying the stud 26 "like in a customary sliding bolt.

Figs. 11 and 12 show two further embodiments of the invention applied to an easy-chair having two side frames I (only one of which is visible in the drawing), a back 2 and a seat 3. Each side frame carries at the top near the back edge 5 .a keyhole fitting 5 of the same type as the fit-- ting 5 shown in Fig. 2, for engagement with a headed stud or screw 1 on the back 2. The front end of the seat 3 is supported from the side frames I by means of fittings 22 and studs 26 in the same manner as in the embodiment according to Figs. 5 and 6. Likewise, the rear end of the seat engages with the iower end portion of the back in thesame manner as in Fig. 5 by means of a slat (not shown in Figs. 11 and 12) inserted into a groove in the back, although the rear end of the seat could be supported from the side frames 1 for instance by means of fittings 22, 25, the seat having in mounted position to bear against the lower end portion of the back by means of surfaces transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction on the seat.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 11 the lower end portion of the back is secured to the side frames by means of screws 9 and keyhole fittings 39 which largely resemble the fittings H of Fig. 2, i. e. they have a curved keyhole slot, the lower end of which extends backward-s relative to the easy-chair, so that in order to be released the back must first be moved forward with its lower end in a direction diverging from the longitudinal direction of the back, a movement which is prevented by the seat occupying mounted position.

In the embodiment according to Fig. 12 the lower end portion of the back is secured to the side frames by means of screws '1 and keyhole fittings 5 havinga straight keyhole slot extending in parallel with the keyhole slot of the upper fittings 5 on the side frames 1 in such a direction that in order to be released the back must be moved bodily obliquely forward and upward in a direction diverging from the longitudinal direction of the back, a movement which is prevented by the seat occupying mounted position.

In the embodiments shown in the drawings at least the lower end of the back is movable forwardly, at least during the first part of its releasing movement frcm mounted position, in a direction diverging from the longitudinal direction of the back, and such movement is counteracted by the fact that a forwardly facing surface on the back is pressed against a rearwardly facing surface on the seat, but of course it would also be possible to reverse this arrangement so that at least the lower end portion of the back is movable rearwardly, at least during the first part of its releasing movement, in a direction diverging from the longitudinal direction of the back, and in this instance the back must have a rearwardly facing surface transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the seat, for direct or indirect engagement with a forwardly facing surface on the seat transversely directed in relation to the longitudinal direction of the seat, for locking the back in mounted position by means of the seat.

It should be observed that the seat may be supported at the front end by a bar extending between the side frames instead of being supported direct from the side frames. The seat could then be secured to said bar or to said side frames in order not to be displaced when it is tried to move the lower end portion of the back to released position while the seat occupies it's mounted position.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A piece of sitting furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart side frames, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, a first set of interengaging means on said side frames and said back for supporting said back between said side frames, said interengaging means including upper and lower means, said lower means including. a cammed surface on said frame, and a pin on said back slidably engaged therewith, said interengaging means preventing longitudinal movement of said back in a locking position and allowing disengagement of said back from said side frames by moving the lower end of said back in relation to said side frames by coaction of said pin and said cammed surface in such a way that at least the bottom end portion of said back is displaced in a disengagement direction substantially deviating from the longitudinal direction of said back during at least the first portion of the disengagement motion, a seat between said side frames, a second set of interengaging means on said seat and said supporting frame for locking said seat against displacement in relation to said side frames in said disengagement direction, and abutment surfaces on said seat and the bottom end portion of said back extending transversely in relation to the longitudinal direction of said seat, said surfaces on said seat and said back exerting a pressure upon each other opposing movement of the bottom end portion of said back in said disengagement direction.

2. A piece of sitting furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart side frames, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, a first set of interengaging mean on said side frames and said back for supporting said back between said side frames, said interengaging means including upper and lower means, said lower means including a cammed surface on said frame, and a pin on said back slidably engaged therewith, said interengaging means preventing longitudinal movement of said back in a locking position and allowing disengagement of said back from said side frames by moving the lower end of said back in relation to said side frames by coaction of said pin and said cammed surface in such a way that at least the bottom end portion of said back is displaced in a disengagement direction substantially deviating forwardly from the longitudinal direction of said back during at least the first portion of the disengagement motion, a seat between said side frames, a second set of interengaging means on said seat and said supporting frame for locking said seat against forward displacement in relation to said side frames, and abutment surfaces on said seat and the bottom end portion of said back extending transversely in relation to the longitudinal direction of said seat, said surfaces on said seat and said back exerting a pressure upon each other opposing movement of the bottom end portion of said back forwardly in relation to said side frames.

3. A piece of sitting furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart disengagement of said back from said side frames by moving the lower end of said back in relation to said side frames by coaction of said pin and said cammed surface in such a way that at least the bottom end portion of said back is displaced in a disengagement direction substantially deviating from the longitudinal direction of said back during at least the first portion of the disengagement motion, a seat between said side frames, a second set of interengaging means on said seat and said supporting frame adjacent the front thereof for supporting said seat on said supporting frame at the front only and for locking said seat against displacement in relation to said side frames in said disengagement direction, substantially horizontal bearing surfaces on the rear portion of said seat and on said back engaging each other for supporting the rear portion of said seat on said back only, and abutment surfaces on said seat and the bottom end portion of said back extending transversely in relation to the longitudinal direction of said seat, said surfaces on said seat and said back exerting a pressure upon each other opposing movement of the bottom end portion of said back in said disengagement direction.

4. A piece of furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart side frames, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, stud means projecting from the lower portions of the lateral edges of said back, head means on said stud means, an apertured plate for each of said stud means on said side frames defining a slit in one end of which the corresponding one of said stud means is located in mounted position with its head means engaging behind the marginal edges of said plate bordering said slit for supporting said back between said side frames, the longitudinal central line of the slit in each of said apertured plates being curved toward the lower end thereof and making at least adjacent said one end of the slit accommodating the corresponding one of said stud means in mounted position an angle with the longitudinal direction of said back, said stud means being displaceable along said slits from their mounting position at one end of the slits toward the other end of the slit, which is enlarged to let through said head means of said stud means, by moving the lower end of said back in relation to said side frames by coaction of said stud means and said curved slits in such a way that at least the bottom end portion of said back is displaced in a disengagement direction making said angle with the longitudinal direction of said back during at least the first portion of the disengagement motion, a seat between said side frames, a set of interengaging means on said seat and said supportin frame for locking said seat against displacement in relation to said side frames in said disengagement direction, and abutment surfaces on said seat and the bottom end portion of said back extending transversely in relation to the longitudinal direction of said seat, said surfaces on said seat and said back exerting a pressure upon each other opposing movement of the bottom end portion of said back in said disengagement direction.

5. A piece of sitting furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart side frames, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, a first set of interengaging means on said side frames and said back for supportin said back between said side frames, said interengaging means including upper and lower means, said lower means including a cammed surface on said frame, and a pin on said back slidably engaged therewith, said interengaging means preventing longitudinal movement of said back in a locking position and allowing disengagement of said back from said side frames by moving said back in relation to said side frames by coaction of said pin and said cammed surface in such a way that at least the bottom end portion of said back is displaced in a disengagement direction substantially deviatin from the longitudinal direction of said back during at least the first portion of the disengagement motion, a seat between said side frames, stud means projecting from the lateral edges of said seat, head means on said stud means, locking means projecting from each said head means towards the associated one of said stud means, an apertured plate for each of said stud means on said side frames defining a slit in one end of which the corresponding one of said stud means is located in mounted position with its head means engaging behind the marginal edges of said plate bordering said slit, said slit being enlarged at least adjacent the side of said plate remote from said seat for engagement with said lockin means for lock- 10 ing said seat against movements in relation to said side frames, and abutment surfaces on said seat and the bottom end portion of said back extending transversely in relation to the longitudinal direction of said seat, said surfaces on said seat and said back exerting a pressure upon each other opposing movement of the bottom end portion of said back in said disengagement direction.

FOLKE OHLSSON.

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